Tuesday, March 31, 2009

1918] Time after time: For the first time in U.S. history, Daylight Savings Time goes into effect. Clocks are moved ahead one hour at 2 a.m...

1923] They shoot horses, don't they?: The first U.S. dance marathon is won by Alma Cummings who sets a new world record of 27 hours in New York City. Gig Young finishes second...

1931] Luck of the Irish runs out: 43-year old Notre Dame coach Knute Rockne and seven others are killed in a plane crash in Kansas as the legendary coach was headed to Hollywood to make a football movie...

1943] Another opening, another show: Rodgers & Hammerstein's "Oklahoma" opens on Broadway. Although Howard Keel played the lead on Broadway, Gordon MacRae played that role on the big screen with Shirley Jones as his wife...

1975] Going out a winner: John Wooden coaches his last game, a 92-85 UCLA win over Kentucky which gives the Bruins their 10th National Title under 'The Wizard of Westwood'. The Wiz celebrated his 98th birthday in October...

1976] Pulling the plug twice: The New Jersey Supreme Court rules that Karen Anne Quinlan could be disconnected from her respirator. Quinlan remains comatose until 1985 when she passes away...2005] Terri Schiavo dies at a hospice in Florida, 13 days after her feeding tube is removed in a right-to-die dispute that reached the courts, Congress and the White House...

1985] On the level too: The first Wrestlemania, the biggest wrestling event from the WWE is performed at Madison Square Garden...

1986] 'Happy Trails': O'Kelly Isley, who I had the pleasure of knowing, dies of a heart attack at 48...1998] Former New York Congresswoman Bella Abzug dies from heart disease at 77...

1992] Premiered on this date: "Dateline NBC"...

1995] Tejano tragedy: 33-year old Tejano singing idol Selena is shot to death by Yolanda Saldivar, president of Selena's fan club. The shooting takes place outside a Corpus Christi motel room...For more on March 31st:

Monday, March 30, 2009

1867] North to Alaska: The U.S. purchases Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million. The deal will be known as "Seward's Folly" after Secretary of State William H. Seward who brokered the deal for the U.S. When Sarah Palin is born, Seward is forgiven...

1966] Back to work: Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale end a 32-day double holdout and sign with the L.A. Dodgers for equal $135,000 salaries. A bucket of balls and a fungo bat costs more than that today...

1967] Pass the pepper: The cover picture of the Beatles "Sgt. Pepper" LP is shot at Michael Cooper's photo studio in Cheslea, England...

1981] 'Honey, I forgot to duck': President Ronald Reagan is shot by John Hinckley. Reagan will make a complete recovery as will D.C. police officer Thomas Delahaney, also shot. Press secretary James Brady is not as lucky. Brady is left with permanent brain damage from his gunshot wound to the head. The 'Brady Law' will be passed in his name...

1987] This guy's smart: Keith Smart pops a 17-foot jumper from the corner with 4 seconds left to give Indiana a 74-73 win over Syracuse as the Hoosiers celebrate their 3rd NCAA title under coach Bobby Knight...

Friday, March 27, 2009

1794] In The Navy: President George Washington and Congress authorize creation of the U.S. Navy (3/27)...

1884] Red Sox Nation is born: The first long-distance call is made from Boston to New York in which two people argue the merits of their baseball teams before a shouting match ensues and the phrases "Red Sox Nation" and "Evil Empire" are heard often followed by the slamming of the phone (3/27)...

1932] March Madness: The first NCAA championship game is won by the Oregon Ducks, 46-33 over Ohio State (3/27). The NCAA will dominate the NIT starting in the mid-50s...1971] The UCLA Bruins top Villanova 68-62 for the fifth national title in a row for the John Wooden-led Bruins who won't stop until they've won 7 consecutive titles (3/27)...

1963] The Name Game: Sonny Werblin, no doubt inspired by nearby LaGuardia Airport, changes the name of the New York Titans to the Jets (3/28), just before Shea Stadium becomes runway 22-Left in 1964...

1971] Guilty as charged: Lt. William Calley Jr. is found guilty of premeditated murder of at least 22 Vietnamese civilians and is sentenced to life in prison (3/29). Calley wins a court case and is paroled. He now lives free in Columbus (GA)...1971] A jury in Los Angeles recommends the death penaly for Charles Manson and 3 female followers for the 1969 Tate - Lo Bianca murders (3/29). His sentence is commuted to life in prison, where he resides today...1974] Eight Ohio National Guardsmen are indicted on charges stemming from the shooting death of 4 Kent State students (3/29) in May of 1970. All are later acquitted and released...

1977] Tenerife tragedy: A KLM Boeing 747 attempting to take off, crashes into a Pan Am 747 on the Canary Island of Tenerife killing 582 (3/27)...

1979] Life immitates Art: A nuclear meltdown starts at Three Mile Island (PA) (3/28) 12 days after "The China Syndrome" premieres...

1997] The Wrong Man?:Dexter King, son of Martin Luther King Jr. meets with James Earl Ray in prison and believes his father's alleged assassin had nothing to do with the shooting (3/27)...

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

1901] Nice in Nice: The Mercedes is introduced by Daimler at the "Week of Nice" in Nice, France...

1911] Up in flames: 146 women are killed at the "Triangle Shirtwaist Company" in New York City. The owners of the company are charged with manslaughter when it's discovered that the factory doors were locked. In 1914 they are forced to pay damages to all the victim's families...1990] Fire races through an illegal social club ("Happy Land") in Manhattan, killing 87, mostly Honduran and Dominican immigrants...

1913] Playing the Palace: The Palace Theatre, home of vaudeville, opens on Broadway...

1965] Marching along: Martin Luther King Jr. leads a group of 25,000 to the state capitol in Montgomery (AL) to protest the denial of voting rights to blacks...

1975] 'Happy Trails': King Faisal of Saudi Arabia is shot to death by a deranged nephew who will be beheaded the following June. Faisal was 72...2006] Legendary Country artist and radio station owner, Buck Owens dies in his sleep from an apparent heart attack at 76...

1988] Guilty as charged: Robert E. Chambers Jr. pleads guilty to 1st-degree manslaughter in the death of 18-year old Jennifer Levin in Manhattan's so-called 'Preppy Murder Case'...2003] Philip Giordano, former mayor of Waterbury (CT) is convicted of violating the civil rights of two pre-teen girls by sexually abusing them...

1995] Free as a bird: Mike Tyson is released from jail after serving three years...

1956] Don Russell: Senior Bill Russell leads the University of San Francisco to its second straight NCAA title with a 83-71 win over Iowa as the Dons win their 55th straight game - a record at the time...

1958] Elvis has left the draft board: Elvis Presley is inducted into the Army. Although he was drafted the previous December, the Army allowed Elvis to finish filming "King Creole"...

1962] Death visits the ring: Emile Griffith beats Benny "The Kid" Paret senseless in a welterweight title fight at Madison Square Garden. Ten days later Paret dies from his injuries...

1964] JFK in silver: The Kennedy half-dollar is issued by the Treasury...

1980] Debuted on this date: "Nightline" debuts with Ted Koppel. In 1979 the news show debuted with coverage of the Iran crisis. Koppel left the show in November of 2005 but the show continues to air with new hosts...

1988] Guilty as charged: Former national security aides Oliver L. North and John M. Poindexter plead innocent to Iran-Contra charges...

1989] Oil slick for the ages: The Exxon Valdez spills 11 million gallons of oil into Alaska's Prince William Sound after running aground...

2002] Oscar gold: Halle Berry becomes the first black performer to win a best actress Oscar for her work in "Monster's Ball"...For more on March 24th:

1839] OK?: The first recorded use of "OK" is used in the Boston Morning Post...

1857] Going up?: Elisha Otis installs the first modern passenger elevator in a public building at the corner of Broome & Broadway in Manhattan...1858] Eleazer A. Gardner of Philadelphia patents the cable streetcar and then is escorted out of his neighborhood when neighbors find out that his name is Eleazer...

1942] Evacuation day: With WWII being fought, the U.S. Government begins evacuating Japanese-Americans from West Coast homes to detention centers...

1950] You can beat this: "Beat The Clock" premieres on CBS-TV, hosted by Bud Collyer. The original show will run through February, 1958 when the show switches to ABC-TV until January, 1961. The show goes into syndication and continues to run until September of 1979...

1983] "Happy Trails": 61-year old Dr. Barney Clark, a retired dentist dies after living 112 days with a permanent artificial heart...

1989] Guilty as charged: Joel Steinberg is sentenced to 25 years for killing his adopted daughter. After serving some time he is released and is now a construction worker in Harlem...

1998] Hold the ice: "Titanic" wins 11 Oscars tying "Ben-Hur" and "The Lord of The Rings (the Return of the King)" with the most Academy Awards in history...

2003] Saving Private Lynch: A U.S. Army maintenance convoy is ambushed in Iraq with 11 soldiers killed and 7, including Pfc. Jessica Lynch, captured...2008] The death toll in Iraq reaches 4,000...For more on March 23rd:

Friday, March 20, 2009

1760] Fight fire with fire: Boston's "Great Fire of 1760" destroys 349 shops and homes along King and Congress Streets. As a result of this fire and several others, Boston will become the first town in the nation to have professional fire fighters (3/20)...

1852] Debuted on this date: Harriet Beecher Stowe's book "Uncle Tom's Cabin" (subtitled 'Life Among The Lowly') is published. It's also made into a silent movie (3/20)...

1952] Cleveland rocks: A riot breaks out at the "Moondog Coronation Ball" in Cleveland as Alan Freed aka 'King of The Moondogs' hosts what many consider the spark that ignited Rock 'n' Roll (3/21)...

1954] The Real Hoosiers: Milan beats Muncie Central for the Indiana state high school title in the game that the movie "Hoosiers" was based on. The final score of the game was 32-30. Obviously there was no clock in use yet (3/20)...

1958] "Happy Trails": Movie producer and third husband of Elizabeth Taylor, Mike Todd dies in a plane crash (aboard "Lucky Liz") (3/22). The couple had been married for just one year. Todd was 51...1978] Karl Wallenda, 73-year old patriarch of The Flying Wallendas, falls to his death while attempting to walk a cable extended between two hotels in San Juan (PR) (3/22)...1987] Dean Martin Jr. dies in a plane crash during a blizzard. Martin was serving in the Air National Guard at the time (3/21). The former member of Dino, Desi and Billy was just 35...

1963] Wedding Bells: Barbra Streisand and Elliott Gould walk down the aisle (3/21). The marriage will last for 8 years...1969] John Lennon and Yoko Ono rock down the aisle in Gibraltar (3/20). To commemorate what would have been their 30th anniversary in 1999, a set of postage stamps was issued in Gibraltar. Only John's death separates the two...

1973] Going to Hall: Eleven weeks after he's killed on a mercy mission, Roberto Clemente is voted into Baseball's Hall of Fame in a special election (3/20). The Puerto Rican star's last hit is number 3,000, a double off of the Mets' Jon Matlack on September 30, 1972. Clemente was only 38 at the time of his death...

1976] Guilty as charged: Newspaper heiress Patricia Hearst is convicted of armed robbery for her part in a San Francisco bank holdup (3/20)...1981] Jean Harris is sentenced to 15-to-life for the murder of lover Dr. Hyman Tarnower (3/20). Harris is released, her sentence commuted by New York Governor Mario Cuomo after 12 years served in 1992...1995] Colin Ferguson is sentenced to life for the LIRR massacre in which he killed 6 people in 1993 (3/22). He serves his sentence at Attica Prison...1996] Erik and Lyle Menendez are found guilty of first-degree murder in the killing of their parents. Both are serving a life term in prison (3/20)...

1991] City tragedies: Eric Clapton's 4-year old son Conor dies when he falls out the window of a 53rd floor apartment in Manhattan (3/20). Clapton will win a Grammy for his song written about Conor, "Tears in Heaven."...1995] Twelve are killed, more than 5,500 sickened when the nerve gas Sarin is released in the Tokyo subway system. Terrorists belonging to a doomsday cult in Japan are responsible for the attack (3/20)...

2004] Gotcha: The U.S. military charges 6 soldiers with abusing inmates at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq (3/20)...For more on March 20 -22:

Thursday, March 19, 2009

1629] Welcome to the Bay State: The Massachusetts colony is founded by Englishmen. The Massachusetts state song is: "All Hail To Massachusetts" which should be replaced by the Bee Gee's "Massachusetts"...1822] The city of Boston is incorporated, something noted by Dave Loggins...

1953] Oscars bring Hope: Bob Hope emcees the first televised Academy Awards Show on the network. 174 stations give viewers a look at Gary Cooper winning for "Best Actor" in "High Noon" and Shirley Booth accepting the "Best Actress" award for "Come Back Little Sheba". "The Best Picture" is "The Greatest Show On Earth"...

1966] Glory Road: Number three ranked Texas Western upsets #1 Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament's final game to win the championship of college basketball. The Miners, composed mostly of blacks beats the Wildcats 72-65. The story was made into the movie, "Glory Road"...

1976] "D-I-V-O-R-C-E": Buckingham Palace announces the separation of Princess Margaret and her husband, the Earl of Snowdon after 16 years of marriage. They divorce two years later...

1979] CSPANing the globe: The U.S. House of Representatives begins broadcasting its day-to-day business on C-SPAN...

1984] Debuted on this date: "Kate & Allie" starring Susan Saint James (Kate) and Jane Curtin (Allie). The show will run 5 seasons, ending in 1989...

1987] Get the Kleenex out: TV evangelist Jim Bakker resigns as chairman of his PTL ministry amid a sex-and-money scandal involving former church secretary Jessica Hahn...

2003] Shock and Awe: An American-led coalition launches a war against Iraq, beginning with the launch of U.S. Cruise missiles and precision-guided bombs aimed at Saddam Hussein near Baghdad...

2007] "Happy Trails": Calvert DeForest a.k.a. Larry "Bud" Melman dies at 85 after years of poor health...For more on March 19th:

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

1850] The stage is set: Henry Wells and William Fargo found Wells-Fargo. 159 years later they're still in business...

1909] Can you hear me now?: Einar Dessau of Denmark uses a shortwave transmitter to talk to a government radio post about 6 miles away. It is believed to be the first broadcast by a 'ham' operator...

1922] Slammed: Mohandas K. Gandhi is sentenced to prison in India for civil disobedience. Gandhi will serve two years of a six-year sentence...2005] Former Connecticut Governor John G. Rowland is sentenced to a year in prison and four months under house arrest for corruption...

1931] Premiered on this date: Schick Inc. markets the first electric razor...1961] The Poppin' Fresh "Pillsbury Dough Boy" is introduced...1968] Mel Brooks' film "The Producers" premieres, starring Gene Wilder and Zero Mostel. The movie wins an Oscar for "Best Screenplay"...

1953] The Braves leave Beantown: Boston loses the Braves as NL President Warren Giles and all the NL team owners approve the team's decision to move to Milwaukee. They eventually wind up in Atlanta where they are now...

1990] Reunited and it feels so good: Baseball owners and players agree to a new labor agreement, ending a 32-day pre-season strike...1997] Joni Mitchell reunites with the daughter she gave up for adoption many years earlier...

1992] Guilty as charged: Leona ("Queen of Mean") Helmsley is sentenced to four years in prison for tax evasion...

2005] Pulling the plug: Doctors in Florida, acting on orders of a state judge, remove Terri Schiavo's feeding tube. The brain-damaged Schiavo will die 13 days later...For more on March 18th:

1756] Happy Times: New York City's first St. Patrick's Day celebration is held at the Crown and Thistle Tavern...

1776] Redcoats don't wear green: British forces evacuate the city of Boston during the Revolutionary War. On St. Patrick's Day? Now they're really asking for it...

1897] Falling: Bob Fitzsimmons, a 167-pound middleweight KOs Gentleman Jim Corbett in the 14th round to claim the world title. After the fight, Fitzsimmons says of the 183-pound Corbett: "The bigger they are, the harder they fall."...

1905] Wedding Bells: Franklin D. Roosevelt marries his distant cousin, Eleanor Roosevelt in New York City. President Theodore Roosevelt, FDR's 5th cousin, gives his niece away. Quite conveniently Eleanor doesn't have to change her last name but how distant a cousin was she???

1910] Happy campers: The 'Camp Fire Girls Organization' is founded by Luther and Charlotte Gulick. Two years later they begin operation...

1959] Get out of town: The Dalai Lama a.k.a. Lhama Dhondrub Tenzin Gyatso flees Tibet for India. The Chinese took over Tibet in 1950 and opposition to their regime by Tibet's Monks is causing all hell to break loose in Tibet now...2003] President George W. Bush gives Saddam Hussein 48 hours to leave Iraq. He rejects the ultimatum. Tick...tick...tick...

1969] This I swear: Golda Meir is sworn in as the 4th Premier of Israel...

2005] I smell a rat: Rafael Palmeiro, who rats out teammate Miguel Tejada, and Sammy Sosa (who forgets how to speak English) testify before Congress saying they never used steroids. Mark McGwire, also testifying, turns into a sphinx...

2008] Client 9 replaced: David Paterson is sworn in as the new Governor of New York after the Eliot Spitzer (aka 'Client 9') prostitution scandal...For more on March 17th:

Monday, March 16, 2009

1802] The long gray line: Congress authorizes the establishment of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point (NY)...

1881] The Circus is in town: The Barnum and Bailey Circus debuts...

1912] Cherry pie: Mrs. William Howard Taft plants the first cherry tree in Washington (DC). Skip and Flip sing the National Anthem followed by "Cherry Pie"...

1968] My-Lai, My-God: U.S. troops under the direction of Lt. William L. Calley Jr. destroy a Vietnam village consisting mostly of women and children, killing hundreds. The event is know as the 'My-Lai Massacre."...

1970] "Happy Trails": Tammi Terrell dies from a malignant brain tumor just a month and a half away from her 25th birthday. She had collapsed on stage in October of 1967 while singing with Marvin Gaye...

1978] Kidnapped: Italian politician Aldo Moro is kidnapped by left-wing guerillas. Moro is later found murdered by the group...

1988] Guilty as charged: Former National Security Adviser John M. Poindexter, former White House aide Oliver L. North and two others are indicted on charges relating to the Iran-Contra affair. The convictions of Poindexter and North are thrown out...1994] Tonya Harding pleads guilty to conspiracy to hinder prosecution for covering up the attack on rival skater Nancy Kerrigan and is fined $100,000...

1991] Country tragedy: Seven members of Reba McEntire's band and her road manager are killed when their private plane goes down near the California border with Mexico. Luckily Reba was on another plane...

2002] Wedding Bells: Liza Minelli makes her fourth trip down the aisle when she marries her producer and boyfriend David Gest. It took more than five years to work out a settlement...

2002] Fan tragedy: Thirteen-year old hockey fan Brittanie Cecil is hit by a puck during an NHL game between her hometown Columbus Blue Jackets and the Calgary Flames. She dies 2 days later from her injuries...For more on March 16th:

Thursday, March 12, 2009

44BC] Beware the Ides of March: Roman dictator Julius Caesar is assassinated by a group of nobles that include Brutus and Cassius (3/15)...

1954] Debuted on this date: CBS-TV debuts its "Morning Show" and any day now viewers will discover it (3/15)...

1964] Guilty as charged: A Dallas jury finds Jack Ruby guilty of murdering Lee Harvard Oswald (3/14). The shooting was seen live by about 50 million people on November 24, 1963...

1964] Wedding Bells:Richard Burton becomes victim number five for Elizabeth Taylor (3/15). These two lovebirds are married for 10 years from 1964 to 1974 and then for an additional year in 1975 before finally calling it quits...

1964] Screams? What screams?: Thirty-eight neighbors ignore the screams of 28-year old Kitty Genovese being stabbed to death in a Queens neighborhood (3/13)...

1967] WRKO is born: WNAC changes call letters and formats to WRKO. Boston's new top 40 giant replaces the Yankee Network Flagship personality/talk/news station (3/13)...Click on: http://melphillipsnowandthen.com to read about the launch of WRKO

1991] Pretty slick: Exxon pays $1 billion in fines for the clean-up of the Alaskan oil spill they caused (3/13)...

2000] Curtains: Dan Marino, the NFLs most prolific passer gives his farewell speech after 17 years with the Miami Dolphins (3/13). In 2005, Marino is inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton (OH)...

2002] Celebrity boxing: Tonya Harding finds a new calling in the ring where she beats up Paula Jones. On the same card, Barry Williams loses to Danny Bonaduce and Todd Bridges defeats Vanilla Ice on 'Celebrity Boxing'. TV hits an all-time low (3/13)...

1664] The Redcoats are on the turnpike: New Jersey becomes a British colony as King Charles II grants land in the new world to his brother James, the Duke of York after conferring with Tony Soprano who gets the 'vig'...

1894] Things go better with Coke, like bottles: Coca Cola is sold in bottles for the first time...

1912] Order your cookies: Juliette Gordon Low founds the "Girl Guides" which will become the 'Girl Scouts of America'...

1951] Debuted on this date: "Dennis the Menace" created by Hank Ketcham, makes its syndicated debut in 16 newspapers...

1966] What the Hull?: Chicago's Bobby Hull becomes the first NHL player to score 51 points in a single season on a goal in a game against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden...

1969] Wedding Bells: Paul McCartney and Linda Eastman rock down the aisle. They will be married until Linda's untimely death in 1998...

1980] Guilty as charged: A jury finds John Wayne Gacy Jr. guilty of murdering 33 men and boys. Gacy will be executed in May of 1994...1997] LAPD arrest Mikail Markhasev in the shooting death of 27-year old Ennis Cosby, Bill Cosby's son. Markhasev is serving life with no parole...

2002] In living color: Homeland security chief Tom Ridge unveils a color-coded system for terror warnings. If you're color-blind, you're out of luck...

2003] Getting Smart: Elizabeth Smart is reunited with her family 9 months after being abducted from her home. She was kidnapped in June of 2002 by a drifter who had previously done work at her family's home...For more on March 12th:

1927] Debuted on this date: Samuel Roxy Rothafel opens the world-famous Roxy Theatre in Manhattan...1930] President William Howard Taft becomes our first president to be buried in Arlington's National Cemetery...1969] Levi-Strauss begins selling bell-bottom jeans...1989] The reality-based "Cops" debuts on Fox where it still resides on Saturday nights...

1942] Big Mac: With Japanese forces advancing in the Pacific during WWII, General Douglas MacArthur leaves the Philippines for Australia vowing "I Shall Return". He does...

1986] Stick it: Popsickle announces its plan to end the traditional twin-stick Popsicle for a one-stick model. How do you split one stick?...

1993] Confirmation day: Janet Reno is confirmed by the Senate to be the nation's first female attorney general...

1995] Picabo, I see you: Picabo Street becomes the first U.S. woman to win a gold medal in downhill at the world championships in Spain...

1996] Cleveland sits Shiva: The city of Cleveland mourns the decision made by NFL owners to allow Art Modell to move the Browns to Baltimore where they become the Ravens. Cleveland gets revenge by keeping the Browns name, a new team to replace the original one and a lifetime supply of gift-certificates to Modell's...

2002] Lighting up the night: Two columns of light reach to the heavens from ground zero in Manhattan as a temporary memorial to the victims of 911. The search lights could be seen in all 5 boroughs. What a sight!...

2004] Terror in Spain: Bombs explode in quick succession across the commuter rail system in Madrid killing 191 and wounding more than 2,000 as terrorists linked to al-Qaida strike...For more on March 11th:

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

1876] Can you hear me now?: The first successful voice transmission over Alexander Graham Bell's telephone takes place in Boston when his assistant hears, "Mr. Watson, come here. I want you." Mr. Watson replies, "how exactly do you mean that?"...

1949] Guilty as charged: Nazi wartime broadcaster Mildred E. Gillars a.k.a. "Axis Sally" is convicted of treason and will serve 12 years in prison...1969] James Earl Ray pleads 'guilty' to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. but will later repudiate his plea and maintain his innocence until his death in 1998...2004] Teenage Washington (D.C.) sniper Lee Boyd Malvo is sentenced to life in prison in Virginia...

1965] The Odd Couple: The play opens on Broadway with Walter Matthau and Art Carney as Oscar and Felix. Jack Klugman will replace Matthau and Tony Randall replaces Carney when the TV series starts...

1966] 'Happy Trails': Five-time 'Horse of the Year', the mighty Kelso retires. The gelding lives a long life, passing away in October, 1983...1980] Scarsdale Diet guru, Dr. Hyman Tarnower is murdered by his lover, Jean Harris who will be pardoned in 1992 by Governor Mario Cuomo after serving time in a penitentiary...1988] Andy Gibb dies suddenly of heart inflammation at the age of 30...

1971] Vote for me: The Senate lowers the voting age to 18...

1980] Debuted on this date: Willard Scott debuts as weather man on "The Today Show"...

1983] Going to Hall: Walter Alston who began his career as manager of the Dodgers in Brooklyn is elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame...

1993] Gunned down: Dr. David Gunn is shot to death outside a Pensacola (FL) abortion clinic...

2005] Wacko Jacko: Wearing pajamas and twirling an umbrella, Michael Jackson shows up one hour late to his trial. A back injury is given as MJ's excuse, however there's no excuse offered for his bizarre behavior...For more on March 10th:

Monday, March 9, 2009

1862] What's the tie-breaker?: During the Civil War, the ironclad Monitor and Virginia (formerly the Merrimac) fight to a draw in a 5-hour battle at Hampton Roads (VA)...

1954] TVs finest hour: On "See It Now" Edward R. Murrow takes a stand against Senator Joseph McCarthy and his communist witch hunt with a hard hitting interview of the Wisconsin Senator...

1954] Not TVs finest hour: WNBT (now WNBC) New York runs the first local color TV commercial for Castro Convertible as Bernadette Castro makes the couch into a bed for the first time...

1955] Debuted on this date: James Dean debuts in "East of Eden". Dean will make two more movies: "Rebel Without A Cause" and "Giant" before his short life ends in an auto crash in September of '55...1959] Happy Birthday to the Barbie Doll, 50 years young today...1964] The first Ford Mustang rolls off the assembly line...

1976] Cadettes join the Cadets: The first female cadets are accepted at the West Point Military Academy...

1981] Rather: Dan Rather makes his debut as principal anchorman on The CBS Evening News replacing Walter Cronkite...2005] Not: Rather signs off for the last time as principal anchorman of The CBS Evening News...

1985] Blowin' in the wind: "Gone With The Wind" goes on sale in video stores for the first time...

1992] "Happy Trails": Former Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin who had a history of heart trouble, dies at 78 from natural causes...1996] Legendary comedian George Burns joins Gracie at age 100...2007] Boston lead singer Brad Delp is found dead in his New Hampshire home. Delp, 55, died from the smoke of two charcoal grills he lit inside his sealed bathroom. Found by his girlfriend, he had a suicide note pinned to his shirt...

2004] Guilty as charged: Convicted Washington, D.C. sniper John AllenMuhammad is sentenced to death in Virginia. He remains on death row in Maryland...For more on March 9th:

Friday, March 6, 2009

1876] Can you hear me now?: Alexander Graham Bell receives U.S. Patent no. 174,465 for something called the telephone (3/7). 1926] Fifty years later the first successful trans-Atlantic radio-telephone conversation takes place between New York City and London (3/7)...

1930] TV to follow: Clarence Birdseye develops a method for quick-freezing food. It will be known as the TV dinner (3/6)...

1964] Wedding Bells: Elizabeth Taylor steals Eddie Fisher away from wife Debbie Reynolds. They will eventually marry and their relationship will last 5 years... (3/6)...

1971] A Sports trilogy begins: Muhammad Ali loses a decision to undefeated heavyweight champ Joe Frazier (3/8). This is the first of 3 fights between two of the best heavyweights ever...

1978] Gunned down: Hustler publisher Larry Flynt is shot and paralyzed permanently by a sniper in Georgia who objected to an interracial couple appearing in the magazine (3/6)...

1981] 'And that's the way it is': The words of Walter Cronkite who does his final "CBS Evening News" report which started on April 16, 1962 (3/6)...

1993] Neighborhood crime: A woman is gang-raped on a pool table in a New Bedford (MA) tavern. Four men are later convicted in a case that rocks the nation (3/6)...2000] Three white NYPD officers are convicted of a cover-up in a police station attack on Haitian immigrant Abner Louima (3/6)...

1999] "Happy Trails": Baseball Hall of Famer Joe DiMaggio, the 'Yankee Clipper' dies at 84 after never fully recovering from lung cancer surgery in the fall of 1998 (3/8)...

2006] Patent no longer pending: Apple Inc. is granted the patent to the iPod (3/7)...For more on March 6 - 8:

Thursday, March 5, 2009

1770] Boston Massacre: It started with a crowd of colonists taunting British soldiers and escalated into the infamous 'Boston Massacre' with 5 Americans killed. Two Brits will later be convicted of manslaughter...

1963] 'Happy Trails': Legendary Country artist Patsy Cline dies in a small plane crash in Camden (TN) returning from a Kansas City benefit for the widow of a local disc jockey. Cowboy Copas, Hawkshaw Hawkins and Patsy's pilot/manager were also killed...1982] John Belushi dies of a drug overdose in a Hollywood hotel room. Belushi was just 33...

1966] Man of Steel: Steel union official Marvin Miller is selected as executive director of the MLBPA, the baseball players union. Major League players should kiss the ground Miller walks on for their inflated salaries...

1969] Creem rises: Creem Magazine is published for the first time, aimed at competing with Rolling Stone Magazine. They fail to do so...

1973] Wife swap: Yankees pitchers Fritz Peterson and Mike Kekich arrive at spring training and announce that they have swapped wives, children and dogs. Within two years both players are gone from baseball. Had Fox been around, this would have been the first reality series...

1993] He'll be back: Washington Redskins coach Joe Gibbs retires after winning 3 Super Bowls in 12 years. Gibbs becomes a successful racing car team owner in NASCAR but will return to the NFL as coach of the Redskins several years later...

2002] This Ozzy is not a Nelson: MTV begins airing "The Osbournes." TV goes downhill from there...

2004] Not a good thing: Martha Stewart is convicted of obstructing justice and lying to the government about why she unloaded Imclone stocks just before the price dropped. Bernie Madoff takes notes...For more on March 5th:

1990] 'Happy Trails': One of the leading scorers in NCAA history, Hank Gathers of Loyola Marymount suddenly collapses and dies during a game against Portland at 23. Gathers who was projected as a 1st round pick suffered from a heart muscle disorder...1996] Grand Ole Opry fixture, Minnie Pearl dies from complications of a stroke at 83...

2005] A good thing: Martha Stewart imprisoned for 5 months for her role in a stock scandal, leaves prison to start 5 months of home confinement, wearing a stylish ankle bracelet...For more on March 4th:

1969] This is test: Apollo 9 is launched on a mission to test the lunar module that will be used in the moon landings...

1984] The new commish: Peter Ueberroth, president of the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee is elected as the 6th commissioner of baseball effective October 1. Well, he looked good, anyway...

1985] Premiered on this date: "Moonlighting" starring Cybill Shepherd and Bruce Willis on ABC-TV. This terrific series ran until May of 1989...

1991] Hell breaks loose in L.A.: Motorist Rodney King is severely beaten by LAPD officers in a scene captured on amateur video tape...

1992] Hang him high: Islanders' great Mike Bossy becomes the second Islander to have his uniform (#22) hoisted to the rafters at Nassau Coliseum. Dennis Potvin's #5 was the first one...

1995] Stalking slowly: A stalker is arrested while trying to break into Roberta Flack's Manhattan apartment but the singer starts playing "Killing Me Softly" on the piano and the stalker falls into a coma...

2005] Up, up and away: Millionaire adventurer Steve Fossett becomes the first person to fly around the world without stopping or refueling, touching down in central Kansas after a 67-hour, 23,000 mile journey. In September, 2007 Fossett vanished while flying. He was legally declared dead in 2008...For more on March 3rd:

1903] Martha Washington slept here: The Martha Washington Hotel opens for business in New York City becoming the first hotel exclusively for women...

1917] Viva Puerto Rico: Citizens of Puerto Rico are granted U.S. citizenship with the enactment of the Jones Act...

1923] Time after time: TIME hits the newsstands for the first time...

1933] Fay Wray sighting: The original "King Kong" world premieres at the Roxy and Radio City Music Hall theaters in Manhattan...

1939] Take your time Bay State: The Massachusetts legislature votes to ratify the Bill of Rights to the U.S. Constitution. These 10 amendments had gone into effect 147 years earlier but why rush???

1951] B-ball All-Stars: The first NBA All-Star game is played at Boston Garden as Easy Ed McCauley of the Celtics leads the East to a 111-94 victory over the West. A crowd of 10,094 were on hand to witness the game created by league publicity man Haskell Cohen and Celtic founder Walter Brown...1962] Wilt Chamberlain drops 100 points on (who else?) the Knicks...

1969] Espo '69: Boston Bruins center Phil Esposito becomes the first NHL player to score 100 or more points in a season...

2005] The toll rises: The number of U.S. military deaths in Iraq reach 1,500. Sad to say that today that toll is over 4,200...For more on March 2nd:

About Me

Mel Phillips Now & Then is more Now. The Then always follows the Now. Prior to starting 'Remembers' in 2005 and 'Now & Then' on April 7, 2008 I enjoyed a multi-media career which included being one of the Bill Drake program directors. I was involved in the programming of such legendary stations as WOR-FM, WXLO-FM, WNBC, WRKO AM & FM and KQV. I was also General Manager of Hooper Radio, played disc jockey in markets such as Tampa, Nashville, Norfolk and Atlantic City and enjoyed marketing success in syndicated radio for several companies including ABC, MJI and United Stations. My background also includes the music business where I promoted such diverse CBS acts as The Clash, Gloria Estefan, Loverboy, Judas Priest, George Michael & Julio Iglesias. In Special Programming at WCBS-FM I wrote and produced numerous specials and interviewed some of the biggest recording stars. In addition to this post I'm a regular contributor to Radio Daily News. My wife Diane and I reside on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and I'm very proud of my children, Robert Phillips, Lynn Phillips Brough and granddaughters Allyson and Amy...